No elder left behind: Researchers say designers can help clos...(fficulty maintaining attention -- all pa...),Health

Date:10/22/2009

fficulty maintaining attention -- all part of the normal aging process -- can make it difficult for seniors to learn new skills. In fact, Charness said, it takes older adults roughly twice as long as younger people to learn a new word processor under self-paced learning conditions. That's true even for older adults who have prior experience with another word processor.

The extra time and effort required to learn a new skill are among the reasons why older adults are generally less motivated than younger people to learn new skills -- particularly if they decide that the potential benefits of the new technology are not worth it. In addition, seniors may make a greater number of errors as they interact with technology that was not designed with their capabilities in mind.

Seniors quite literally perceive new technology differently than younger adults do. Changes in acuity, color perception and susceptibility to glare affect the way they see a computer screen. They also have greater difficulty with fine motor control and coordination. However, knowing these constraints, designers can create better products for older adults, the researchers said. Among their suggestions:

Create cell phones with simplified menus, large fonts and buttons and external noise reduction.

Design Web sites with high contrast backgrounds and text, larger fonts and minimal scrolling. The sites should provide navigation aids and instructional support.

Computer games -- such as Nintendo's Brain Age -- and software packages that have been developed for and marketed to older adults may also help reverse age-related declines in perceptual and cognitive abilities, the researchers said.

"There is limited but encouraging evidence that these so-called brain fitness software packages make a difference in improving some basic skills, but so far there is little evidence that they improve older adults' quality of life or ability to live independently," Boot
'/>"/>

Contact: Neil Charness charness@psy.fsu.edu 850-644-6686 Florida State University Source:Eurekalert

0 GOOD

Page: 1 2 3
Related medicine news :

1. Gene Tied to Post-Op Delirium in Elderly
2. Chinas 1-child policy could backfire on its elderly
3. Divorce foretells childs future care for elderly parent
4. Elder Caregiving Site ShirleyBOARD.com Wins WebAward for Outstanding Online Community
5. Brain atrophy in elderly leads to unintended racism, depression and problem gambling
6. Elder Care Author Doctor Marion Launches Second National Tour to Raise Awareness About Aging & Elder Care Issues in America
7. Planning for 2020: increasing elderly population poses huge challenges in cancer care
8. NIH scientists describe ways to better assess benefits of influenza vaccine in the elderly
9. Survey reveals ignorance and confusion about cancer amongst the elderly
10. Penn study suggests professional welders at risk for loss of sense of smell
11. Colorectal cancer screening remains essential for elderly Americans